Catalan
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7!?
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| Black's well-known manoeuvre with the dark-square bishop loses a tempo but is generally considered to misplace White's dark-square bishop, which otherwise would probably be fianchettoed |
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6.Bg2 0-0 7.Qc2 c6 8.0-0 b6 9.Rd1 Bb7
9...Ba6!? 10.Ne5 marginally favours White, according to Stockfish16, although Komodo14.1 disagrees.
10.Bf4 Nbd7 11.Ne5 Nxe5
The engines suggest 11...Nh5 12.Bd2 Nhf6!?, a popular continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.
12.dxe5 Nd7 13.e4?!
The engines much-prefer 13.cxd5, followed by 14.e4.
13...g5?!
Probably a novelty, and probably not a good one. The engines reckon Black is at least slightly better after 13...dxc4, the main points being, presumably, White's bishops are badly restricted, and Black has the better-structured pawn-majority.
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| How should White proceed? |
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14.Be3
This looks normal, but the engines like 14.exd5!?, eg 14...gxf4? 15.dxc6, or 14...cxd5 15.cxd5 gxf4 16.dxe6, with a complicated position that slightly favours White, according to the engines.
14...Nxe5?!
The position is completely equal after 14...dxc4, according to the engines. The problem with the text is it helps open lines to Black's weakened kingside.
15.exd5 cxd5 16.cxd5 Bxd5 17.Nc3 Qc7?!
White has a winning position after this, according to the engines, which reckon necessary is 17...Qc8!?, keeping a watch on what turns out to a very vulnerable f5 square. Nevertheless the engines reckon their suggestion leaves White with the upper hand.
18.Bxd5 exd5 19.Qf5
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| The black position is collapsing |
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19...Ng6
The engines suggest 19...Rae8, 19...d4 or 19...f6, but reckon White is winning.
20.Nxd5 Qb7 21.Bxg5 Bxg5 22.Qxg5 f5 23.Nf4
Even stronger seems to be the engines' 23.Nf6+, and if 23...Kh8 then 24.Rd7.
23...Qe7!? 24.Qxe7 Nxe7 25.Rd7 Ng6 26.Ne6 Rf7 27.Rad1 Rxd7
Not 27...Ne5?? 28.Rd8+ etc.
28.Rxd7 Re8
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| What should White play? |
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29.Rd8!?
Getting rooks off the board is usually commendable in a pawn-up ending as their presence often increases drawing chances, but here the resulting knight-and-pawn ending seems not very favourable for White.
29...Rxd8 30.Nxd8 Ne5
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| Both black pieces are a little better-placed than the white ones |
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31.b4
The engines suggest 31.f4, 31.b3 or 31.Kf1, claiming a winning advantage for White.
31...b5!?
Possibly better is 31...Nf3+ and 32...Nd4.
32.Ne6 Nc6 33.Nc7 Nxb4 34.Nxb5 Nxa2 35.Nxa7 Kf7
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| White remains a pawn up, but that is probably not enough with all pawns being on one side of the board |
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36.f4 Ke6 37.Nc6 Nc3 38.Nd4+ Kf6 39.Kg2 Nd5 40.Kf3 h5 41.Ke2 Kg6
A possibly simpler way to draw is 41...h4, and if 42.Kf3 hxg3 43.Kxg3 White's passed h pawn is not going anywhere, fast or slow, it would seem.
42.Nf3 Kf6 43.Kd3 Ke6 44.Nd4+ Kf6 45.Nc2 h4 46.Kc4 hxg3 47.hxg3
Not 47.Kxd5?? gxh2.
47...Ne7 48.Kc5 Ng8 49.Ne3 Ke6 50.Nc2 Nh6 51.Nd4+ Kf6 52.Kd6 Ng4 53.Nc2 Nf3 54.Ne3 ½–½
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